Grown Men Don't Cry
by Lady Sigyn
Summary: This is a songfic for Quatre. It sounded like him first time I heard it. Takes place a long while after GW. I was just practicing...


Grown Men Don't Cry  
  
By BakaDaz  
  
I heard this song on the radio, and it just screamed out 'Quatre!' Well, not literally... but... you know what I mean. I just thought I'd see what a songfic is like. Also it's actually in 1st person view. I've never written that kind before, I always find it difficult. But I'm going to try.  
  
Baka: *groans* Do I have to do this, Duo?  
  
Duo: Yup. Let's go. 'I swear...'  
  
Baka: Now?  
  
Duo: Yes!  
  
Baka: Oh, okay... I swear...  
  
Duo: 'I will not...'  
  
Baka: I will not...  
  
Duo: 'write another Quatre fic after this.'  
  
Baka: How about this next one isn't Quatre-based?  
  
Duo: Look, oh obsessed one, I wanna fanfic. Write something freaky about one of the guys.  
  
Wufei: Do it and feel my wrath!  
  
Baka: ... *sighs* All right, sheesh. The next fic wont be Quatre-based. Gotta include  
  
him though, love my lil' Quatre :)  
  
Duo: Alright... I believe you.  
  
Heero: You do?  
  
Duo: I don't?  
  
Heero: Don't trust people.  
  
Trowa: That's right, you can't rely on other people, so you must always rely on yourself.  
  
Duo: Riiight...  
  
Baka:... Anyways, on with the -song-fic.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the Gundam Wing Characters. But I would like to visit Japan one day and own some authentic Japanese merchandise! Er... okay. I don't own 'Grown Men Don't Cry' either. That's Tim McGraw's song.  
  
A/N: I don't really like Quatre being paired with Dorothy. I have it where you can insert whoever you want Quatre to be married to, `k?  
  
I was able to talk everyone into letting me go out alone. I drove to the shopping center a little ways away. I went into a store called 'The Florist Shop'. I had things to do today, and I needed some flowers. Today was a hard day; I just finished a long day of work, signing papers, calling people, having small meetings. But through the years I've perfected my job, after all, I've been doing it since the war ended when I was about 16. I bought some roses, the clerk seeming rather cheerful about it, but rather questioned at why I bought four. People bout one, or a dozen, but not four. I gave him my best smile and went out to my car.  
  
I noticed to my left a girl, about my age or younger than me. Her and a boy, somewhere around four or five, were looking through the window of a store. The boy pointed at something and looked at her, but she just nodded and looked away. I knew that she must have been the boy's mother. Something about their reaction towards each other, I wasn't quite sure. She started to cry and the boy hugged her leg, since it was the closest thing to him, he was a little thing.  
  
She tried to wipe her tears again, but they kept rolling down. She bent down and wrapped her arms around him; he hugged her back.  
  
I pulled into the shopping center  
  
And saw a little boy wrapped  
  
Around the legs of his mother  
  
Like ice cream melting  
  
They embraced  
  
Years of bad decisions  
  
Running down her face  
  
I frowned at their filthy clothes and bodies and suddenly felt bad. I had been complaining, but what did I have to complain about? I was better off than most people, and I just had to look around and notice that. I was heartbroken for the girl, and the poor boy that would hopefully grow up all right.  
  
All morning I'd been  
  
Thinking my life's so hard  
  
And they wore everything  
  
They owned living in a car  
  
I wanted to tell 'em  
  
It would be OK  
  
The girl turned her head in my direction, and I merely smiled at her. I gave her the warmest one I could, to try to make her feel better. I knew it wouldn't help much, but I had things to do. Again I felt bad for my lack of helping. I turned and started walking to my car, concluding one thing: I was going to talk about this to someone. Maybe whoever was head of that welfare organization.  
  
But I just got in my suburban  
  
And I drove away  
  
I got the funny feeling that maybe the reason I left so quickly was so no one could see me cry for them. I really did feel bad, and I let my emotions go as I drove to my next destination. My friends that I know would think it rather weak of me, but I couldn't help it. We all show our feelings in different ways, and although people like Heero and Trowa can hide tears, it's something I never could do, and I see nothing wrong with it.  
  
I don't know why they say  
  
Grown men don't cry  
  
I don't know why they say  
  
Grown men don't cry  
  
I got to my destination, and climbed out of the car, taking a rose with me. I walked alone the grass over to a stone in front of me. I started thinking about a dream I had lately. It was about my father and myself. I was a boy and my father and I were sitting around, talking, laughing, and enjoying our time together.  
  
I keep having this dream  
  
About my old man  
  
I'm 10 years old and  
  
He's holding my hand  
  
We're talking on the front porch  
  
Watching the sun go down  
  
I frowned knowing it was never something that happened, though. My father was as busy as I am nowadays. Except, I try to have my free time, but my father always worked hard, sometime I felt that it was more important that family, but when I took over the business, I found myself wrong.  
  
But it was just a dream  
  
He was a slave to his job  
  
And he couldn't be around  
  
I sighed at the thought. I really wish I could talk to him again, tell him that I was sorry for the way I acted, but I knew I couldn't. I leaned over his grave and laid the rose on it. Then I stood up straight and looked around.  
  
"I'm sorry father," I tried to make emends. "I was always a handful, I'm really sorry. I wish you were alive, I want to see you again." I gave a little smile and began to talk to him like he was really there. "You should have been there Monday, Father. The youngest one, she took her first step. We were so happy, I was sitting there drinking tea and she just tried to walk over to me." I looked down to the ground as I began to tell him all the week's events.  
  
So many things  
  
I wanna say to him  
  
But I just placed  
  
A rose on his grave  
  
And I talked to the wind  
  
When I was finished, tears filled my eyes as I realized I would never truly be able to tell him these things. It just made me feel a little better to come visit him every week. Tears filled my eyes for the second time today, as I started my way back to my car and drove out of the graveyard back out to the street. It was time to make my way back home; it was almost dinnertime. Cook always had it finished at the exact time every day, no matter what.  
  
I got home to the Winner mansion and walked into the house, my three roses behind my back. I was going for a surprise, but I was attacked by two children and a little one crawling after them. Laying my flowers on the ground, and got them in a hug. I looked down at my two girls and boy. I was so proud of all of them. They were all good kids and I loved each and every one of them.  
  
A shadow appeared over us, and I looked up to see the love of my life smiling down at me. I smiled back. I reached for the flowers by my side and got the kids away. "One for you, Sandy," I said to the middle child. She smiled at me and took the rose from me, thinking it was so beautiful. I stood up and handed one to the girl smiling down at me. "One for you, darling," I said and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She smiled and took the rose, and then I gave her the last one. "This one's for little miss first step down here," I said and picked up the youngest of the three kids. The girl smiled at me with her big toothless grin. "I gave it to you because I'm afraid she might eat it," I told her, trying to sound funny and truthful at the same time. She laughed at me, took all three of the flowers, and went to go put them in a vase. The middle girl following after her chiming, "Remember which flower is mine, mommy."  
  
My oldest child pulled on my pants leg. I looked down at him and he smiled. "Father," he said. "I try to be polite and not ask people for things a lot but--" Before he could finish his sentence, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small car. He jumped with joy, thanked me, and ran off to his room. I chuckled; he loved toy cars. I held my baby to me for a while, just sort of taking in the whole day, until I heard the yell for me to come to dinner and eat.  
  
I'm sitting here with  
  
My kids and my wife  
  
And everything that  
  
I hold dear in my life  
  
We all sat at the table, a nice little feast in front of us. I heard someone whisper something about praying, and since I thought today was an interesting one, I agreed. I kept one eye on the baby as we bowed our heads and I thanked that guy above for everything that I do have.  
  
We say grace and  
  
Thank the Lord  
  
Got so much to be thankful for  
  
After dinner, it was time to get the kids to bed. I have the job of checking on the two older ones every night, first. I walked pass my boy's room; his mother must have already tucked him in. He smiled at me and thanked me again for the little toy car. It wasn't much. I knew that. But even if it wasn't, his smile about it was ten times the price.  
  
Next, I went to my girl's room. I looked in to see her sitting up. Her covers were over her, but she was just sitting there. "What do you need, angel?" he asked.  
  
She pointed at her nightstand next to her bed. "Can you read me my story, daddy?"  
  
I knew I had to answer a call to someone who wanted me during dinner, but was asked to wait a bit. But, I decided that I'd been away from home for a while, and I needed to spend some time with my kids. I walked in and sat on the edge of her bed.  
  
Then it's up the stairs and  
  
Off to bed and my little girl  
  
Says I haven't had my story yet  
  
I reached for her book on her nightstand; it was some treasury of children's stories. I flipped through it to try and find where I stopped last night. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her lean over to me.  
  
"Daddy?" she whispered.  
  
"Hm?" I responded, still trying to find that page. That's what I get for not book marking. I finally found it and turned my attention to her. She smiled at me.  
  
"I love you daddy," she said simply.  
  
Everything weighing on my mind  
  
Disappears just like that  
  
When she lifts her head  
  
Off her pillow and says  
  
"I love you Dad"  
  
I smiled at her. I kissed her on her forehead. "I love you too, honey." I really meant it too. That simple sentence made me feel really good. "Now, lay down and let me read this to you." She nodded and obeyed. I heard a creaking of the floor out by the door, and saw my other two girls; my baby and my wife. I smiled. This was where I wanted to be. And for the third time today, I felt like crying.  
  
I don't know why they say  
  
Grown men don't cry  
  
I don't know why they say  
  
Grown men don't cry  
  
The End  
  
Did it suck as much as I thought? 


End file.
